Malayan campaign

Malayan campaign (World War II) (Dec. 1941–Feb. 1942) Through an agreement with the French Vichy government the Japanese had established military bases in Indochina as early as July 1941. At the same time they made an agreement with Phibunsongkhram for free passage of troops through Thailand, which had been a Japanese ally since 1939. Thus on 8 December 1941 Japanese forces crossed into northern Malaya without hindrance, while their aircraft bombed Singapore. Kuala Lumpur fell on 11 January and British, Indian, and Australian troops withdrew to Singapore, where they surrendered in February 1942. During the retreat a guerrilla resistance force was organized to conduct sabotage, operating behind enemy lines. This was the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA), rapidly recruited and trained for jungle warfare by the British and consisting largely of Chinese, most of whom were Communists. After the successful completion of the Burma campaigns, Allied troops were preparing to invade Malaya when Japan surrendered.